Find out how popular the last name Nour is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nour.

Nour, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nour in America

Nour is the 37646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nour surname appeared 591 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nour to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nour

The surname Nour has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in countries like Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria, among others. The name is derived from the Arabic word "nur," which means "light" or "radiance."

In ancient times, the name Nour was often used as a descriptive term or nickname for individuals who possessed a bright personality or a radiant demeanor. It was not uncommon for such names to eventually become hereditary surnames, passed down through generations within families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nour can be traced back to the 12th century, during the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt. Historical records mention a prominent scholar and poet named Nour al-Din al-Attar, who lived between 1166 and 1234 in Cairo.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Nour was Shaykh Nour al-Din al-Bitruji, a renowned astronomer and mathematician who lived in the 13th century. His contributions to the field of astronomy were significant, and his works were widely studied and referenced by scholars of his time.

In the 14th century, during the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt, the name Nour appeared in various administrative records and documents. One such example is the Mamluk historian and writer, Nour al-Din Ali al-Samhudi, who lived between 1332 and 1412 and authored several works on the history of Mecca and Medina.

Moving forward to the 19th century, the surname Nour gained prominence in the literary and political circles of the Arab world. Nour Al-Din Al-Turki was a prominent Syrian writer and poet who lived between 1845 and 1908 and played a significant role in the Arab literary renaissance.

Another notable figure was Nour Pasha al-Nouri, an Iraqi politician and military leader who served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 1930 to 1932. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the modern Iraqi state and its independence from British rule.

Throughout history, the surname Nour has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, poets, artists, politicians, and military leaders. While the name has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nour

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nour.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nour was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nour has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Nour was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nour, please contact us.

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